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Many Twins fans are probably upset by the move Twins manager Ron Gardenhire made by pulling Kevin Slowey, but they shouldn’t be.

Here’s why: Kevin Slowey had a no-hitter through seven innings, but Gardenhire decided that was enough and pulled him. Right move? Absolutely. To all the fans feeling that Gardenhire should’ve let him go back and try for his no-hitter must know the situation that was at hand on Sunday.

How many no-hitters get broken up after the seventh? A lot. It’s a proven fact. The odds of Slowey actually throwing a no-no are against him. On top of that, Slowey had thrown 106 pitches and was coming off 10 days of rest. Gardenhire was trying to save his pitcher rather than hurt him. If the Twins weren’t atop the AL Central then I might reconsider, but the fact is that the Twins need Slowey to be at his best down the stretch for their playoff run and Gardenhire thought that was more important than a record. Well played, sir!

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The American League Central division is a dead heat.

With their loss to Baltimore on Monday, the White Sox dropped into a tie with the Minnesota Twins.

The Detroit Tigers, 6-19 since the All-Star break, have gracefully bowed out of the race for the division, making it a two-team contest—two teams that competed in just such a race back in 2008.

After finishing tied at 88-74 in 2008, the White Sox and Twins needed a one-game playoff. Due to the bad luck of a coin toss, the game was played at US Cellular Field.

The game was decided in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Jim Thome led off the inning with a home run off of Nick Blackburn. It was one of only four hits that Blackburn would allow in seven and a third innings pitched.

Final score: White Sox 1, Twins 0.

Oh, how the worm has turned.

Thome is now hitting home runs for the Twins, and Blackburn has been dispatched to the Rochester Red Wings, the Twins’ triple-A affiliate.

Over the next 10 days, the Twins and White Sox will face each other six times. In the remaining 40 games of the 2010 campaign, they will meet only three more times.

It’s said that games within the division count as two—so that makes now the time for the Twins to put some distance between them and the White Sox.  

If the pitching rotations hold, the Twins will get their first look at the newest White Sox player, Edwin Jackson, who was acquired from Arizona at the trading deadline.

In return, Twins’ fans hope the White Sox get plenty of looks at Minnesota’s own trade deadline acquisition—All-Star closer Matt Capps, acquired from the Washington Nationals.   

The Twins hold the edge so far in 2010, having defeated the White Sox six times in nine games, including opening the second half of the season winning three of four at Target Field.

Since the break, the Twins have been the hottest team in the American League, going 17-6. They’ve won five of seven series, losing only one, while tying a four-game series against the Rays in Tampa Bay.

And they have done all this without MVP candidate Justin Morneau.

The Twins’ slump that dogged them a month ago seems to have ended with the break, and they looked primed for another strong second-half finish.  

Since Ron Gardenhire took over as manager, the Twins are 85-73 against Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox.

If the Twins can continue their hot streak as they head into Chicago, they could find themselves well on their way to Gardenhire’s sixth division championship in nine years.

Upcoming pitching probables:

Tuesday: Scott Baker (9-9, 4.70 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (10-4, 4.54 ERA)

Wednesday: TBD vs. Edwin Jackson (7-10, 4.97 ERA)

Thursday: Francisco Liriano (10-7, 3.33 ERA) vs. John Danks (11-8, 3.30 ERA)

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When the Twins struggled their way into the All-Star break, going 8-13 and falling to third place in the American League Central division, things were looking pretty bleak.

All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau hasn’t played a game since July 8 after suffering a concussion. 

Currently infielder Nick Punto and Gold-Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson are on the disabled list.

Compound that with Joe Mauer sitting out a couple of games, and then limited to the DH role the next two with a sore throwing shoulder, and you might think things could not get any worse. 

The Minnesota Twins have been a different team since the All-Star Break.

Patching together makeshift lineup after makeshift lineup, Manager Ron Gardenhire has the Twins playing the best baseball since the All-Star break.

After splitting a four game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Twins are 15-6, the best record in the American League among playoff contending teams.

Currently one and a half games behind the Chicago White Sox, it appears the division is the Twins for the taking.

Here are five reasons the Twins will overtake the White Sox:

No. 1—Strong Starting Pitching:

Once maligned, the starters have gotten their act together and are once again pitching with purpose.

Nick Blackburn has been jettisoned from the majors, and the rest of the rotation has picked up their performance.

Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey have been told to quicken their pace and to trust their catcher calling the game.

In the just concluded four game series with Tampa Bay the starters had a combined 2.93 ERA with 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.01 WHIP; all better than the staff averages.  

No. 2—Solid Team Defense:

The Twins continue to lead the Majors in defense with a .991 fielding percentage.

They have committed the fewest errors with only 38 this season—almost 38 percent fewer than the White Sox’ 61 errors.

No. 3—Strong Offense:

Along with the best defense in baseball, currently hitting .282, the Twins also have the best batting average.

They are near the top in the American League in strike outs (currently third), walks (fourth), and runs scored (fifth).

The White Sox are seventh in the league in average (.264) and runs scored.

Chicago does hold the edge in home runs over Minnesota at 125 to 96.  

No. 4—Hot start to the second half:

Everyone knows the Twins tend to be a second half team.

While the Twins have the best record in the American League since the All-Star break at 15-6, the White Sox have gone 12-8, and the Twins have been as close as a half game behind the White Sox.

Comparing the last 21 games before the break to the first 21 after, the Twins’ bats have come alive, increasing their scoring from 4.57 runs per game to 6.00.

At the same time, their strong pitching and solid defense has decreased the runs allowed by almost two per game, from 5.24 to 3.33.

Along with the strong start to the second half, add the fact the Twins have a better divisional record than the White Sox.

Since Gardenhire took over in Twins 2002, their winning percentage in the division is .570, while over the same time frame Chicago’s has been slightly lower at .551.  

No. 5—Healthy Roster:

As stated above, the Twins have been winning with the likes of Drew Butera, Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia, and Jason Repko.

Butera, backing up Mauer, has caught five straight games. He went two for two with a game-tying home run in the first game of the Tampa Bay series, and had an RBI double in the series final. As Gardenhire has indicated, any offense from Butera is a bonus.

Repko has been getting time in center and right field. In 15 games he’s batting .310 with two home runs, just one less than that of Denard Span. 

Valencia has been red hot, batting .362 in 36 games with 13 RBI—only seven less than Punto has in 80 games. 

Mauer appears to be coming out of his slump and has his average up to .317, after slumping to the break at .299.

With Mauer healthy, and hitting again, the return of Morneau and his .345 batting average and 18 home runs will surely be a boost to the best offense in the league. 

With Detroit in free-fall mode, going 5-17 since the All-Star break, what once looked to be a three-team race, is now a race between Minnesota and Chicago.

With nine games remaining between the White Sox and Twins, this race could go down to the wire, just like in 2008 and 2009, when the division was decided by game 163. 

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The burning question among Twins fans is whether or not their ball club needs to make a deadline move to bolster an inconsistent pitching staff.

A starting rotation led by the unlikeliest of aces, Carl Pavano, had their best week in over a month. The Twins are one game behind the Chicago White Sox and have jumped the suddenly reeling Detroit Tigers.

General Manager Bill Smith will have to weigh whether the recent success is smoke in mirrors against poor opponents or whether it is actual signs of improvement. His decision will ultimately determine if the Twins will be challenging for a World Series title in October or will be struggling to win their division in late September.

The starting staff of Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Brian Duensing, and Kevin Slowey combined for a 4-0 record, 34 innings pitched, 21 hits allowed, a 1.06 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in their most recent run through the rotation. The superb numbers can be contributed to a number of factors. Most importantly, playing the worst team in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles (31-68).

Or, is it possible the Twins have solved all of their pitching problems up front when they dipped into the bullpen for Brian Duensing last Friday? Nick Blackburn had won only one start since June 1st. Opponents were batting .378 with 11 home runs and an on-base percentage of .427. Blackburn, a sinker-ball pitcher, had been working with pitching coach, Rick Anderson extensively on keeping his fastball down in the zone.

After the Twins came back to win in Blackburn’s last start on July 18, Blackburn said, “I don’t know how much longer they’re going to keep putting up with this stuff.” He was shipped out to the pen prior to his next scheduled outting. In his only relief appearance, he gave up three runs, on five hits, in two innings.

Duensing picked up the start this past Friday against Baltimore. He pitched five innings and gave up one earned-run over five solid innings of work. He was limited due to a strict pitch count enforced by pitching coach, Rick Anderson.

“We wanted to keep his pitch count around 65, we will add about 15 pitches each start, and work forward from there,” stated Anderson. Duensing didn’t factor in the decision, but gave the Twins a chance exiting the game with the Twins up 2-1. The lead he earned was lost when Luke Scott hit a two-run home run off rookie Anthony Slama the very next inning.

Duensing will start Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals on the road. He has a career ERA of 4.84 against the Royals. He has had a bit of trouble controlling the right-handed hitters from Kansas City. It will be a good start to measure his progress as a pitcher thus far through his career.

The tools he has learned as a reliever should translate over into his mechanics as a starting pitcher. His ability to get right-handed batters out will be the deciding factor in his effectiveness as a starting pitcher in the MLB.

You can bet on both Gardenhire and Smith keeping a close eye on what goes on through the end of the month. If Duensing has trouble on Wednesday, I would bet on the Twins making a move to add a piece to the front-end of their rotation. If things go smoothly, odds are they will wait for the waiver and non-waiver deadlines.

The bullpen is definitely in need of some live arms. The front office doesn’t have a choice in waiting for bullpen help. The make-shift pen of waiver claims from last year have not met the hopes of management. Jon Rauch, Ron Mahay, Jose Mijares, and Alex Burnett are all expendable.

With the only effective left-hander now in the starting rotation, the Twins are in dire need of some help to close out games.

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Let’s face it: The AL Central is the Minnesota Twins’ division to lose, and they did just about everything they could to lose it in the last month or so before the All-Star break. The starting pitching was atrocious and the offense faltered. 

So what should the Twins do? With Mauer and every starting pitcher besides Pavano underperforming, it’s looking pretty rough. I’ve got a few ideas to entertain:

Trade for Dan Haren or Ted Lilly

Cliff Lee already slipped by. I’m sick of seeing the Twins wait and wait for a great deal to land under their nose, only to get stuck with a lackluster upgrade right before the trade deadline.

Supposedly the Twins would have had Lee for Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks, but backed out. I understand that Minnesota values their prospects, but they’ve been developing some great young players for the last 19 years with no championships.

Why not trade the young guys? Looking ahead to the future is a good thing, but not if there is never a “present.”

Dan Haren would come to Minnesota with an option for 2013 if they could land him, and would be a better deal than Cliff Lee because he is young, proven, and isn’t just a rental. Roy Oswalt has been great this year, but hasn’t been given any run support and comes at a high price. Either pitcher would be a great upgrade, and the Twins absolutely need to make a push for one of the two. Shoddy pitching is not how teams win divisions. 

Some other starters that should be on the move are Ted Lilly and Fausto Carmona. Lilly could benefit from a change of scenery, as he has posted a 3-8 record in a Cubs uniform. The Twins would love another lefty starter as much as I’d like to see Lilly pitch in the American League. Carmona looks to be back to 2007 form, going 8-7 with a nice 3.64 ERA before the break. 

Shop for a Starter at Third Base

I’ve heard rumors about the Twins eyeing Miguel Tejada. He would bring great defense, and is currently hitting .276/7/35. Not too bad for an old guy. The problem is he likes playing in Baltimore. If the Twins could hoist him over to Minnesota, he would be a nice upgrade both offensively and defensively.

What about Joe Crede? He is apparently healthy and would sign for next to nothing. He promises stellar defense at third, but his offense is questionable. At this point, I don’t see why the Twins don’t sign him for $1 mil or so and spend some real big bucks on another offensive upgrade.

Mix Up the Starting Rotation

Trade Nick Blackburn. Cut your losses. Blacky has shown nothing but his inability to compete at the major league level, and hasn’t been effective since the end of May. 

Something else I’d like to see is Brian Duensing in the starting lineup. He’s been lights-out as a reliever and even showed great starting stuff last year, ending with a start against the Yankees in game one of the ALDS. Putting Duensing in the starting five would give the Twins another proven (although briefly) lefty starter. 

I wouldn’t even be opposed to sending Alex Burnett to the mound for some starts. He’s thrown 40 innings so far this season and boasts a 3.60 ERA from the bullpen. Sure beats Blackburn’s 6.40 or Baker’s 4.87.

Grab Some Relievers and a Real Closer

Neshek is injured, Condrey is injured, and Guerrier has imploded as of late. It’s about time to shore up the bullpen. A lot of guys could be moving, and I would expect one if not more to land in a Twins uniform by the end of July. 

A diamond in the rough down the stretch has been Jesse Crain. He’s been electric lately, although his numbers don’t really show it. I expect Crain and his rejuvenated slider to see a lot more time in the second half.

Matt Capps is somebody I would love to see end up in Minnesota. While I haven’t heard anything involving the Twins and Capps, he makes perfect sense. Matt has had some issues with the long ball this year, and Target field seems to be a pitcher’s ballpark through and through. The Twins need a good closer, and Capps could fit the role nicely.

Another (more likely) option for the Twins is David David Aardsma of the Mariners. Aardsma is a proven closer, but holds a rough 0-6 record and a sub-John Rauch 16-for-20 saves. At this point, I’d stick with Rauch unless the Twins can land a Matt Capps or Heath Bell kind of closer. 

Just Make Some Moves!

The Twins are going to need to be busy before the trade deadline. The White Sox have already been linked to some big players like Prince Fielder, and the Tigers don’t appear to be going anywhere. A new third baseman, a veteran ace, reliever and closer are what the Twins need. Here are my suggestions and hopefuls for said deficient positions:

Third Base Suggestion: Miguel Tejada .277, 7 HR, 35 RBI

Third Base Hopeful: Kevin Kouzmanoff .266, 8 HR, 40 RBI

Starter Suggestion: Ted Lilly 3-8, 4.08 ERA

Starter Hopeful: Dan Haren 7-7, 4.36 ERA

Reliever Suggestion: Todd Coffey 2-2, 4.41 ERA

Reliever Hopeful: Mike Wuertz 2-1 5.60 ERA

Closer Suggestion: Kerry Wood 8 SV, 6.30 ERA

Closer Hopeful: Matt Capps 23 SV, 3.18 ERA

There’s the blueprint. A handful of moves could put the Twins back on track in 2010, and will hopefully help Ron Gardenhire win his sixth division title and first World Series as manager of the Minnesota Twins. 

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The Twins closed out the unofficial first half of the season salvaging the third game against Detroit with a 46-42 record.

Good enough for third place in the AL Central.

One definition for ‘frustration’ is when expectations exceed reality.  For Twins’ fans the first half of 2010 has been a lesson in dealing with frustration.

Even before the first pitch was thrown in 2010 the expectations were high.

The opening of Target Field came on the heels of an unprecedented surge to win the 2009 AL Central Division by forcing, and winning, game 163 to break a tie with the Detroit Tigers.

Expectations were made greater with the signing of hometown hero, three-time batting champion, and reigning AL MVP, Joe Mauer to a contract extension that will keep him in Minnesota for a long time.  

Once the season began the expectations were cranked even higher.

The Twins started by winning the first six series they played, and eight of the first nine, giving them a 19-9 record, good enough for a three and half game lead in the division. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were among the top hitters in the league, and Jon Rauch had eight saves in place of Joe Nathan who was lost before the season began. Francisco Liariano was named AL Pitcher of the Month in April with a 3-0 record and a 0.93 ERA.

Then reality set in.

Mauer’s average is currently at .293—equal to the lowest in his career.

Due to complications from a concussion, Morneau has missed the last two games and will miss the All-Star Game in Anaheim this week.     

Since April, Liariano is 3-7 with a 4.94 ERA.

This is Ron Gardenhire’s ninth season as the Twins’ Manager and he has found himself in this situation before. Gardenhire has never finished lower than third in the American League Central Division, winning five of the last eight division titles.

Twice the Twins have gone into the break with the third best record in the division.

In 2003, the Twins finished the first half of the season losing 11 of 12 games.

They saw a half game lead on June 30 fall to a third place finish at the break, down seven and a half games behind the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox, by July 13.  

The starting pitching ignited the team in the second half to win the division by four games.

Brad Radke (9-1), Johan Santana (8-1) and Kyle Lohse (9-2) lead the way as the team cruised to a 46-23 second half record.

Contrast that with 2007.

The Twins went into the Mid-Season Classic with a 45-43 record, again good for third place in the division, eight games behind the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians.

This time, however, there was no one to lead them to a division title. They went 34-40 to finish with Gardenhire’s only losing season at 79-83.

Carlos Silva led the starters with a 7-4 record. Santana and Scott Baker were the next best with 6-6 records.

If the Twins are going to repeat the accomplishments of 2003, they need a starting pitcher to step up and carry the team past the Tigers and White Sox.

Right now that pitcher appears to be Carl Pavano. His win against the Tigers ended a five game slide for the club and has him leading the team with a 10-6 record and a 3.58 ERA.

A peek at the stats for the Twins’ starters for the second half of 2009 does not bode well for a 2010 comeback.

Baker ended strong in 2009 going 8-2 to in the second half after starting the season at 7-7. 

Pavano was acquired in the second half from Cleveland and went 5-4.

Nick Blackburn went 3-7. He’s currently 7-7, but his 6.40 ERA is the worst on the team. He has not shown any indications he will be able to turn things around in the second half.

Liriano only went 1-4 last year. His 2010 record does not accurately reflect how good he is pitching. Exclude is last appearance (1.2 innings and seven earned runs) and his record would be a serviceable 6-6 with 4.22 ERA, more than two runs better than Blackburn’s.

That leaves Kevin Slowey, who did not pitch after the All-Star break in 2009 and has not regained the dominance he showed opening the 2009 season 10-3 with a 4.86 ERA.

If Gardenhire is to duplicate the type of success the Twins had in 2003, they will need to find at least one more starting pitcher to join Pavano, Liariano and Baker. There does not appear to be anyone ready to make the jump from AA or AAA to the majors.

In Rochester, the Twins’ AAA affiliate, Anthony Swarzak (1-5, 6.84 ERA) and Jeff Manship (3-5, 5.11 ERA) have both made spot starts for the Twins, but neither appear ready for major league hitters.

With Cliff Lee going to the Texas Rangers, that leaves few options for trades.

Unless the Twins’ find an ace-in-waiting or can trade for one, 2010 looks like it will be going the way of 2007—a third place finish in the AL Central.

Look at the bright side—there at least won’t be another playoff loss to the Yankees.

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The Minnesota Twins are tired of running headlong into the buzzsaw that is the New York Yankees. This is the team that has beaten the Twins in the playoffs three separate times during the managerial reign of Ron Gardenhire.  

In their new 2010 Target Field, the Twins want to win the whole thing this season. They have a potent offense, led by three-time batting champion and 2009 MVP Joe Mauer and former MVP Justin Morneau.

They have the financial wherewithal with the new stadium and have upped their payroll already to $98 million, more than the Los Angeles Dodgers’. In addition, the Pohlad family, owners of the Twins franchise, are one of the wealthiest families in all of sports.

Yankees be damned!

Speaking with someone familiar with the situation (and verifying the initial conversation), the Twins traded for Cliff Lee last week, but the deal fell through. The primary player going to the Seattle Mariners, catcher Wilson Ramos , suffered a strained oblique during Saturday’s game. Ramos is expected to miss seven to ten days .

Ramos was not yet placed on the seven-day minor league disabled list, keeping the trade possible. Unless the Commissioner’s office signs off on the deal, players on the disabled list are usually ineligible to be traded. There must be an understanding that both teams know that player is on the disabled list.

The deal included Ramos, a Twins Major League-ready pitcher (believed to be left-handed reliever Brian Duensing ), and a low level minor league outfielder. The Mariners might be including a low level player, too.

Once Ramos gets clearance to play baseball again, this trade will again be made.

It appears that this deal heavily favors the Twins, as they would get one of the premier pitchers in baseball essentially for a young catcher their system sorely needs, a possible starting pitcher, and a filler.

If I were the Mariners, I would hold out (briefly, like a day) for 3B Danny Valencia , instead of the low level player, in addition to Ramos and Duensing.

This deal would give the Twins a very formidable starting rotation with Lee, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Carl Pavano, and Nick Blackburn.

Pavano, Baker, and Blackburn are without any type of innings limits. Slowey (91 innings pitched in 2009), and Liriano (138 innings pitched in 2009), are both coming off arm injuries and will likely be monitored for the rest of 2010.

In addition, Blackburn, who is signed through 2013 and is usually the team’s most reliable starting pitcher, has had a very off year so far. His record is a respectable 6-4, but with a 5.80 ERA. We all know, however, that the pitchers’ wins are more important.

The Twins staff already has five good starters, but Lee would fit in nicely in any team’s rotation. As I write this, Lee just finished up another complete game , beating the Chicago Cubs 8-1 with nine strikeouts and ZERO walks.  

It is Lee’s fourth complete game this season.

He is now 6-3 with a 2.39 ERA and a 0.912 WHIP. He has struck out 76 batters in 86.2 innings, and he has walked only four batters.

Dontrelle Willis walked seven hitters in only two-plus innings last night.

Ramos is a good, young catcher but is blocked by Joe Mauer, making him expendable. Ramos came up to the majors earlier this season when Mauer was hurt and hit .296/.321 OBP/.407 SLG/.729 OPS with three doubles and an RBI in limited time.

However, he is struggling with the bat in Triple-A Rochester, hitting only .218 with four homers and 18 RBI.

That positive Major League time gave the Mariners an idea that he can be a good starting catcher. In fact, Ramos could step into a starting role right away.

Duensing is a 27-year-old left-handed pitcher who was squeezed out of the Twins rotation in 2010. He started nine games last season, including this gem over the rival Detroit Tigers, which helped lead the Twins into the playoffs.

Duensing was 5-1 as a starter down the stretch last year for the Twins.

Even though he has been great as a reliever this season (2-1, 1.88 ERA, 0.812 WHIP), and really tough against lefty hitters (.122 BA), I do expect the Mariners to convert Duensing back to a starting pitcher.

It is not enough of a haul for the Mariners, especially well before the trading deadline and with Lee pitching so well right now.

The Mariners are basically giving the American League Central division title to the Twins.

And that is bad new for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and any other possible American League playoff team which could face Lee in the 2010 playoffs.

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Who should be the Twins’ third baseman?

Coming out of Spring Training, Brendan Harris had the edge statistically after batting .326 with three doubles, a triple, and a home-run. 

Punto ended the exhibition season with a .233 average, one double, and 12 strike outs. 

When the season opened Ron Gardenhire named Punto his starting third baseman and the debate began.

The answer now seems obvious—give it to Michael Cuddyer.

After filling in for Orlando Hudson at second base in the first game of the Twins’ west coast road trip in Seattle, Cuddyer should be given consideration to be the their fulltime third baseman.

The benefits of such a move could not have been more evident than in the Twins’ 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Delmon Young, Jason Kubel and Cuddyer all homered in the game. Cuddyer and Kubel on back to back pitches in the fourth inning.

By playing Cuddyer at third this allows Gardenhire to play Kubel in right field, Young in left field, and have Jim Thome DH more frequently. More plate appearances for more power hitters. 

This allows Gardenhire to use Punto in a role better suited to his speed and hustle—late inning pinch runner or defensive specialist.

Of course this means less playing time for Nick Punto and more importantly Brendan Harris.

Punto is currently batting .221 and Harris only .170. Combined they have only one home run this season.

Not even close to what is considered a power-hitting position in baseball!  

The downside, there is no downside—it only seems to get better and better! 

At the end of last season, when Justin Morneau went down with a stress fracture in his back, Cuddyer filled in admirably with a .986 fielding percent in 34 games at first base.

Comparing Cuddyer’s career stats to Corey Koskie, the Twins’ third baseman from 1999-2004, helps to solidify the move: 

Cuddyer: .270 batting average, 20 home runs, 83 runs batted in, .941 fielding percent at third.

Koskie: .275 batting average, 20 HR, 83 RBI, .966 fielding percent.

It sure seems like Cuddyer and Koskie were cut from the same bolt of cloth.

Since Koskie’s departure after the 2004 season the Twins have not found anyone to anchor the hot corner.

Cuddyer played 95 games at third in 2005, but was moved back to the outfield in 2006.

Punto, Harris, and Mike Lamb were all given a shot to play third base, and none of them have been able to match the numbers of Cuddyer.  

Who should play third base? The answer is the right fielder in front of us!

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Thanks to Nick Blackburn and Jason Kubel, the hold that the Yankees had over the Minnesota Twins may have been broken.

Going 2-4 against the reigning World Champs, although not as great as we had hoped, is significantly better than the 0-10 of 2009.

Blackburn was the benefactor of three Kubel home runs that resulted in the two victories over the Bronx Bombers.  

As the Twins say good riddance to the Yankees, at least until the inevitable matchup in October, they can focus on ten games against the American League West.

Having already won the opening series of the season at Los Angeles three games to one, the Twins look to get healthy feasting on the AL West.  

A quick glance at the AL West standings may have one thinking they are inverted.

The Seattle Mariners, with the off-season additions of Cliff Lee and Chone Figgins, were early favorites to contend for the AL West title, yet find themselves in the last place.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, perennial powerhouse and winners of five of the last 10 AL West titles, are currently in third.

That leaves Oakland, three games above .500 in second, and only a half-game behind the division-leading Texas Rangers.

Yes, the first place Texas Rangers—a position they’ve held so far for 25 days this season. That’s almost half the 65 days they led the division last season before finishing second, falling 10 games behind the Angels.

Since 2002, the Texas Rangers have only been in first place a total of 218 days—that’s seven of 50 months over eight full seasons of baseball.

This is unfamilar territory for Texas, in a year when the AL West appears to be much weaker than in years past.

Since Ron Gardenhire took over the Twins in 2002, they have been in first a total of 518 days, the equivalent 17 months; more than three times longer than that of the Rangers. 

During this span, the Twins have five division titles compared to none for the Rangers.

The timing could not be better for the Twins, who after losing yet another series to the Yankees get a chance for some redemption against the current AL West leaders.

Following the three games at Target Field with the Rangers, the romp through the AL West continues with a seven game road trip against the Mariners and A’s.

The Rangers, Mariners, and A’s just don’t carry the same sense of intimidation that the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Red Sox did on the recent road trip.

Include the fact that Gardenhire has a winning record against the AL West in his career, and the timing seems perfect for the Twins to regain some of their swagger lost over past 10 games and pad their lead in the AL Central over the Detroit Tigers.    

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Championships are not won or lost in May, but if the Minnesota Twins plan on making a serious playoff run and contend for the World Series this year, the next seven games could tell us plenty.

The Twins embark on a three-city road trip with three games against the Yankees and two each at Toronto and Boston.

Since 2002, when Ron Gardenhire became manager, the Minnesota Twins are 68-104 against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays—a lowly .395 winning percentage. This is  150 points lower than Gardenhire’s overall winning percent of .546 over his eight seasons as the Twins’ skipper.   

On the road against these teams the winning percentage drops to .333.

It is even worse against the Yankees. Including playoff games, the Twins are 5-26 at Yankees Stadium, a miserable .161 winning percentage.

Based on these historical numbers we can expect the Twins being swept by the Yankess and, at best, gaining a split of the remaining four games in Toronto and Boston, resulting in a 2-5 road trip.

In the same span of eight days, the Detroit Tigers play eight games, six at home against New York, Boston, and Chicago and two road games against the Western Division leading Oakland A’s.

If the Tigers go 6-2 they would find themselves leading the Central Division by half a game over the Twins on May 21st. 

But this year, something feels different with the Twins.

• They lose All-Star closer, Joe Nathan, for the season and Jon Rauch steps in has converted nine of 10 save opportunities.
• Joe Mauer is shelved for six games, flirting with placement on the DL, and his replacement, Wilson Ramos, gets seven hits in his first two games behind the plate.
• Francisco Liriano is considered as a replacement for Nathan, an assignment he turns down. He is then penciled in as the fifth starter and has emerged as the staff ace.
• What at first appeared to be an inconsistent starting staff as emerged a strength for the club, with four of five starters with four victories.

The Twins still have only lost one series all season, having split the past two with Baltimore and Chicago.

Yes, this year definitely feels different, and the Twins have a great opportunity to prove they are for real to the baseball world. Nothing would do that better than a 5-2 record on this east coast road trip.

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